December 27, 2012

When those "Rocky Horror" events leave you feeling empty and questioning your very existence, it's time to move on to the Andre scene...

When André tells the story of his attempt to workshop a production of The Little Prince, and how he found himself eating sand in the Sahara desert with a Buddhist monk, eat some sand.

Throw a banana at the screen every time André mentions his wife Chiquita....

When André and Wally discuss the lamentable state of the theater and wonder if it’s possible to create a theatrical experience that would shake people out of their complacency, ask yourself: Is attending this screening/performance of My Dinner With André making you less complacent, or does it allow you to wrap yourself in yet another protective layer of ironic detachment? Is endlessly reenacting My Dinner With André a way for members of The MDWA Midnight Madness Troupe to hide behind a mask of performance and avoid exposing who we really are? Are we really saying anything with this show, or is it just an excuse for people to get drunk and dress up on a Friday night?

Treat yourself to a nice amaretto when Wally orders an after-dinner drink....

Freeman: Rocky Horror is probably puttering along on its own momentum now. It's a cult thing because everyone flocks to see this cult thing that lasted so long. Sorta like how Monty Python and the Holy Grail, while being funny on its own, is considered especially funny only because everyone thinks it's funny.

Other than that, the songs are fun to sing along to, the dances are easy and fun to do, and the characters are fun to dress up as (so if you understand the draw of cosplay, you understand this).

I saw it long ago -- regrettably -- and its only value derives from the scene at the close of "Waiting for Guffman", where the character Corky lovingly shows off his most cherished movie memorabilia: his "My Dinner With Andre" action figures.